I have two new systems for you – just in time for the holidays.
Last month, I felt like there was some disarray in our home.
Lots of bickering. Lots of complaining. A lot of laziness. A little bit of entitlement.
I am sure this never happens in your home …. but just in case (wink, wink) I thought it would be a good idea to share what is working for us.
Mom Bucks
This system is going to forever replace our method of allowance and chores.
Why???
It works. It is simple to keep track of, and it gets the kids to get the job done.
It also reinforces responsibilities and behaviors that they will need to succeed as adults.
I first read about this system in Erin Harrison’s book Living Virtuously – A Wife’s Complete Guide to Keeping Her Heart & Home.
After first glance, I felt like it could work in our home. So off to work I went.
I first grabbed the free printable that Erin offers on her blog Keeper of the Homestead.
With my new currency in hand, it was time to sit down and think of the ways to earn and spend these mom bucks.
I created two charts: Earning Mom Bucks and Spending Mom Bucks.
For the earning chart, I thought of my two most important activities I want the kids to do more of and placed those at a value of 3 mom bucks. For my rowdy boys, it was playing board games and working a big puzzle together.
Everything else then is 1 mom buck.
You can grab this chart at Faith Filled Parenting.
The next chart was how the kids could spend the Mom Bucks.
Again, I gave the activities I wanted them to do the least the most value. ipad, movie, TV all are 3 mom bucks per 30 minutes.
Everything else is worth one mom buck.
A couple of notes:
- I started to make my kids pay 1 mom buck for snacks that are not fruit or veggies. I find my kids eat more of the meals I prepare when they have to work for the snack rather than just grabbing it.
- I also have the right to take away mom bucks at any time. Bad attitude, disrespect, fighting with siblings all require the loss of mom bucks.
This chart is also available at Faith Filled Parenting.
I sat down with the kids and explained our new currency and method.
They each started out with 20 mom bucks.
I know, I know that sounds like a lot, but I know my kids.
I wanted them to gain confidence in the system so they would work hard and give it a try.
And it worked!
The kids love this system. It holds them accountable. It holds me accountable. And it keeps our home running smoother.
You need to try this system!
My Day, Your Day
This idea was born from a place of despair and honestly, guilt.
Now I am always telling my readers to let go of mommy guilt. Throw it out the window.
But in this instance, I think it was the right kind of convicting guilt.
As a mom of five children, it was difficult to remember everything.
When it was time for the kids to make a choice or a decision, I seemed to rashly choose the person who had the best day.
Soon I began to realize that this was the same two kids over and over.
While the other three sometimes more stubborn, a little more wild, and not as obedient children were never getting a chance to choice.
This was not right, and I knew that all my kids needed the chance to make a decision in our family.
My day, your day is a simple concept. Every day has a name attached to it.
When there is a decision to be made, we just look at the calendar, see whose day it is, and the problem is solved!
This system is so simple to implement.
I pray that these systems will bless your family as you grow together on his journey of life.
